


Proposal

by Dzuljeta



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Getting to Know Each Other, Love at First Sight, Marriage Proposal, Mistrust, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Proposals, Prostitution, Surprises, efforts, partial AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2020-10-17 08:34:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20618093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dzuljeta/pseuds/Dzuljeta
Summary: Rose Tyler, a poor girl forced to make her living as a prostitute, has never imagined meeting a man who wanted her just as she was.An AU, but not entirely.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> BBC owns everything.

**Proposal**

**1\. **

Nothing good was ever supposed to come out of this. Rose has known enough examples from both the experience of her fellow sex-workers and from films which tended, at the very best, end on a bitter note.

But there she was, yet another victim of a violent client unable to stop her tears from falling in front of a man she believed she could trust. Was it because this man has always been acting so kindly with her? Rose has tried to convince herself no man could be trusted, but it seemed just a couple of encouraging words could make her see positivity everywhere all over again.

“Marry me, Rose Tyler,” the Doctor said quietly, having realised from one glance this woman has been the one he was ready to spend his entire life with.

The girl gaped,both amazed and startled. “We can’t! We don’t know each other at all!” Rose was panicking. Has this been some kind of a trick?

“Hush, love. I am going to make sure everything works out between us. Trust me!”

“You can’t,” the girl said weakly. “I don’t belong among you, wealthy people.”

“Oh, I can do this and so much more!” The Doctor beamed at her. “My family are going to be furious!”

“Exactly. I have nothing, my sole occupation is-”

“It has been forced on you.”

“What if the Master starts looking for me?” Rose asked him fearfully. “He might want to bring me back-”

“Once you’re my wife, he wouldn’t dare.”

Rose paled, not daring to take his words seriously, “But, but… I’m in no way a blushing virgin, I don’t think I could ever fit in!”

“It’s no longer the eighteenth century,” he chuckled. “It’s even better you don’t fit into this posh society of ours. In fact, I think it best for us to get married right away!”

“But- but-”

“For God’s sake, Rose. I won’t make you share a bed with me, if you don’t want to! All I want is to keep you safe,” he assured her. “You won’t need to work for the Master ever again. He can be cruel, but he knows his limits.”

  
  


Meanwhile, his friends, those the Doctor has labelled as  _ family _ , were discussing his decisions. 

“What should we do about him and his new crush?”

Jack grinned at Donna. “Simple. Allow him to do whatever he wants. It’s about time for him to get out of his scientific bubble and face real life.”

“And what about Rose?” 

“She certainly knows more about life than he does.”

“Exactly! Nobody’s told me anything about  _ her  _ occupation. How could we even expect for something good from this union?”

“Have you seen the way he’s looking at her?”

“So? A crush can happen to anyone!”

Jack chuckled to himself, knowing more than that. “He intends to marry her.”

Donna rolled her eyes. “What does Rose say? I bet she has agreed already. But she’d need to face us first.”

The Doctor entered the room they were in then, frustrated. “I need you to convince Rose to agree to my proposal.”

Donna Noble blinked at him, incredulous. “What game is she playing? Do you mean she said  _ no? _ ”

“I need to keep her by my side at all times. Day and night.”

Jack smiled at him knowingly. “Is Rose  _ that  _ good in bed?”

“I don’t know.”

“Tell us everything!” Donna wanted to know all there was to know before she has agreed to help.

“I can’t.”

“Has she forbidden you to?” Jack asked.

“Rose doesn’t know I’m here. Right now, she’s taking a bath. Please, tell me you agree. Please. If anything goes wrong, I’ll be the one to blame. Please!”

“Do whatever you think is best. For you, for Rose, for us,” Donna Noble said with a shrug, unable to resist the sudden urge to help...

Jack nodded. “Just remember to invite us to your wedding ceremony, whenever you two plan to have it.”

The Doctor gulped. “Of course.” The only thing necessary was Rose saying yes. The specialities, the actual bonding… It could wait.

* * *

“So this is how you repay me, you worthless slut? I give you home and rich clients, enough money to pay for all the quality cosmetics and clothes no casual person could ever afford-”

Rose shrugged. “So that I could be beaten up to their heart’s desire and still look fresh and unharmed after?”

“ _ I  _ have never beaten you up. You are nothing special to me, just one out of many. But allowing you to leave is a different matter entirely.”

Rose gulped and went out, not surprised. The Doctor has promised her something inside his magical place he called his spaceship - a bath. This sounded like a wonderful thing after the dreadful day she was made to go through.

* * *

“Master.”

The Master sent the Doctor a smug look. “Look who we have here. A healer of hearts. Which one of my ladies has hurt your feelings this time?”

The Doctor shuddered. “I should have known it has been you all the while!”

“What are you going to do? Call the police? You must know they aren’t in favour of the whole whoring business and hardly ever look twice at someone who is too lazy to look for a decent job!”

“I’ve come to tell you I am taking your most cherished worker away.”

“Ah. Which one would that be?”

“Rose Tyler.”

“Ah. Rosie. Everyone’s favourite. Great choice. For how long are you borrowing her?”

“For life.”

The Master nodded, thoughtful, not at all surprised. “And what exactly makes you imagine I will allow you to?”

The Doctor has only whispered a couple of words in Gallifreyan.

The Master paled. “You wouldn’t!”

“I have destroyed our planet with my own hands. Could destroy your carefully built business with a snap of my fingers.”

“I know you have more than enough money to do that, but I thought we were… friends never getting our hands into each other’s business!”

“With you ruining every poor woman’s lives just because you feel like it?”

“Ha. I’m doing them a favour. Teaching them a lesson.”

“Which does them no good at all and you know it.”

“Honestly, Doctor? I don’t care. As long as I get the money my girls earn me.”

“I am taking Rose with me and that’s final. Unless you want me to buy her from you?” 

“Here we are, the kind Time Lord showing everyone his true self. At least I never pretend to be good. It’s all about the money for me, you know that.

Just for the fun of it, I give you Miss Tyler to toy with to your hearts’ desire. But when you get bored, don’t come here to give her back. I don’t re-take used property. Even if it’s one Rose Tyler. I can get myself hundreds of willing ones.”

“Never forget your brothel business is not going to last for long,” the Doctor said warningly, before leaving without a backward glance. He knew the Master has been the only other still living Time Lord but, if he were completely honest with himself, he did not want to be known as having anything to do with this man, same race or not.


	2. Chapter 2

**Previously…**

_ He knew the Master has been the only other still living Time Lord but, if he were completely honest with himself, he did not want to be known as having anything to do with this man, same race or not. _

* * *

**Proposal **

**2.**

The first time Donna Noble saw the woman idolised by the Doctor, she hurried to her at once. Unlike someone as ignorant as Jack could be, the fiery companion could see everything at once. All her perfectly covered bruises, not only on her face. 

“Come here, darling! Who’s done this to you? Or has the Spaceman-” Donna paled.

Rose panicked, realising her efforts in hiding the most prominent bruises on her face have failed.

“No. The Doctor would never do that!!” Rose gulped, hoping this has only been a momentary shock coming from… Donna, she imagined.

“Of course not. He loves you! By the way, he has asked of us to convince you to agree to his marriage proposal. What do you think of the idea?”

“I am no-one. Have no future to speak of. How could I-”

Jack blinked at her. “The Doctor says you are the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. Trust me, from him, it means more than one could imagine.”

Rose exhaled. “Does he want to marry me just because he finds me beautiful?”

“Since it’s very likely he’s seen you naked at one time or other, dear, and still wants to stay together with you, I wouldn’t think only your looks are the case,” Donna assured her with a knowing smile on her face.

Rose blushed, uncomfortable.

The Doctor’s excited voice has reached them then.

“It’s all settled! You’re safe now, Rose! You won’t need to face the Master ever again, I assure you!”

Donna and Jack exchanged glances. This sounded grave. 

The girl, having accepted the Doctor’s embrace without thinking twice, sighed in relief.

“Thank you, thank you so much! What must I do to in return?”

“Nothing, Rose. You don’t owe anything to me or to anyone, trust me!”

The Doctor noticed some fearful doubts on her face and in her entire posture. He knew why. The Master was known to change his mind every so often, often just for the fun of it.

“Don’t be afraid, Rose,” he breathed into her. “I know him and he knows what’s waiting for him if he fails to keep his promise this time.”

Rose paled. “You… you know him?”

“Sadly, yes. The Master and I, we have been living around the same places.”

“And you still want to connect your life with mine, even knowing-”

The Doctor gave her a passionate look. “Yes. I love you and want to protect you from harm. To show you the life you have never imagined.”

Rose trembled. “Are you sure there are a lot of things I haven’t seen yet?”

“There are more brilliant things in this universe than we could ever fathom, Rose. Allow me to be the one showing them to you!”

Donna Noble was almost trembling with excitement. It was obvious the Doctor was trying to convince her to marry him in the way he thought best. The redhead was not sure this was the best way to ask for a girl’s hand in marriage, but she knew nothing about their relationship and was afraid to interrupt an intimate moment.

Rose inhaled, her voice quieter than ever before. She, seeing herself as a broken person with no perspectives in life other than depending on the kindness of others, could finally love and feel loved! This sounded like something she didn’t deserve, but maybe, this time… 

“Yes. I agree.”

The Doctor smiled at her softly. All of a sudden, nothing else mattered. “I love you, Rose.”

The girl blushed. “Because you find me beautiful?”

“I’m sure everybody finds you beautiful, Rose,” he assured her.

“Which doesn’t necessarily mean a nice behaviour from those who do,” she breathed.

The Doctor paled, not having wanted to touch upon any painful topics related to the past better forgotten. “It’s all over now, Rose! It’s unlikely for anyone to want to mess with me,” he said.

“What about the Master? I don’t trust him!”

The Doctor nodded in agreement. “Nobody ever should.”

“But?”

“They get fooled by his clever words and tactics and I don’t think it’s going to change any time soon.”

Rose sighed. “I wish I could be of any help.”

The Time Lord smiled at her with admiration. “There will be a lot of times for this in future, I assure you! For now, love, I have been thinking-”

“Is this customary for you to toss around such epithets without a thought?”

The Doctor shuddered. Could it be his efforts to win her over have meant nothing for Rose, nothing at all? 

“Don’t you like it?”

“I love it with all my heart,” she admitted. “But for someone with a background of mine I really don’t think I deserve one kind word from either you or from anyone else.”

The alien shook her. “Don’t you dare say or think it, Rose. You are Rose Tyler, my beloved fiancée!”

The ginger companion was both incredibly excited and _ not at all _convinced about their hurried betrothal. “Congratulations,” she chuckled. “I didn’t think such a quick pace in the matters of love has been a thing.”

“Well, books and films of these days may have formed, or should I say developed, a new understanding of romantic feelings.”

Jack Harkness grew agitated, a genius plan born in his head. “New understanding? Do you mean romantic pornography?”

Rose wasn’t certain about how much she was allowed to do in this place. All of a sudden, she felt a sudden need to give this Jack a much-deserved smack. The Doctor believed he could justify such behaviour. “Tell me one reason why Rose shouldn’t slap you for using such words.”

“Ah, do you want me to apologise for my thoughtless words?” Jack beamed at the frustrated Time Lord, expecting for a fitting reaction.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My multi-chaptered fics are back! <3

**Previously…**

_ “Ah, do you want me to apologise for my thoughtless words?” Jack beamed at the frustrated Time Lord, expecting for a fitting reaction. _

* * *

**Proposal **

**3.**

“I insist. My Rose doesn’t deserve any of this!”

The girl inhaled. “I hope my being here doesn’t trouble you.”

Meanwhile, the Master didn’t intend to let the most favoured, hence the most valuable of his prostitutes go without a goodbye gift. Sex workers were sometimes leaving the business, however rarely, finding rich lovers and supporters elsewhere. Usually, he didn’t care, putting a sweet smile of support on his face and waving them goodbye.

But this time, it was different. It included the Doctor. The fun was going to be double.

With his practically endless funds, only a trifle of those earnt by his working girls, because seeing people suffer was an admirable sight for him, the Master has done what he was best at. Paid off the media to publish a tiny article in the biggest newspapers. But gossip rags were what did it.

Jack Harkness has been familiar enough with women working in the field to have guessed, from Rose’s sad eyes more than anything else, that she may have had something to do with it at one point or other. But he was not someone quick to judge.

Donna, on the other hand… The immortal man was familiar with her negative approach to  _ filles de joie  _ well enough and was knocking on her door early next morning, not wanting her to have a fit all across the TARDIS.

He was surprised to see the redhead in tears, one of her favourite gossip rags in her hands.

“Jack, did you know?”

“About Rose? I have had my assumptions, yes.”

“How could people be so cruel?” Donna was having the supposed Master in mind.

“They can. Please, try and not look at Rose as if she were below us, whatever you do.”

She nodded. “Is the Doctor still asleep?”

Jack rolled his eyes at her. “Is he ever?”

“We can’t know,” the fiery companion agreed. “With the door to his room always closed to us poor companions.”

“What about Rose?”

Jack shrugged. “Well, I may have heard sounds of sobbing coming from the Doctor’s room, so, yeah. He must be keeping her with him.”

Donna Noble sighed in relief. “I’m glad.”

Jack looked at her curiously. “I thought you were against women of such an occupation?”

“She was beaten up, Jack. Make-up does wonders nowadays, but I know a woman in pain when I see one. I’m sure so does the Doctor.”

Jack Harkness gulped. “So it’s better we don’t show the outrageous article to her,” he said calmly.

“Better not,” Donna agreed. 

The Doctor was holding Rose in his arms, glad she has finally fallen asleep, tired down by the flood of tears she has shed.  _ My Rose. Everything’s going to be all right,  _ he sent her soundlessly, knowing she won’t be able to sense the telepathic communication, her being human.  _ I love you, Rose Tyler. _

Rose smiled softly in her sleep, for once not interrupted by nightmares.

_ I love you , too,  _ her unexpected telepathic response startled him.

_ My love. My Rose. Don’t exhaust yourself,  _ was all that could come into his dazed mind at that point.

_ Okay,  _ she agreed and, miraculously, has returned to sleeping normally as before the following moment.

The Doctor chuckled to himself and decided to join her in getting some sleep himself.

Donna and Jack have been left to have their breakfast alone together, no trace of either the Doctor or of his Rose seen or heard in the morning. But when the same thing, or nothing, has happened when the TARDIS has kindly given them their lunch about the time they were supposed to be dining, it was about time to get concerned, Donna believed.

There was no need for it. The Doctor has come out of the room first, as if sensing something has happened. He  _ knew  _ what must have happened. Having given away his most profitable worker, the Time Lord must’ve decided to turn Rose’s reputation, hence knowingly affecting her future life drastically, to shreds. 

“The Master must have already published some mortifying articles on her. Am I right?”

“By the Master, you mean-”

“Harold Saxon.”

“Oh.” Jack realised he wasn’t surprised. “The one police can’t arrest, because of his irreproachable character, even though everyone knows he’s keeping dark secrets from everyone. Yeah. Sounds believable.”

Donna shuddered. “Who is this  _ Master? _ ”

“A bad person,” the Doctor said curtly.

“I’ll tell you later,” Jack assured the curious redhead, putting on a neutral face.

Rose has finally appeared, looking only slightly better than she did yesterday.

“I’m sorry. The Doctor insisted I slept for as long as-”

She caught a glimpse of the article still open in the magazine Donna has forgotten to put away.

Rose’s face lost all colour. “The Master has done it again. Ruined my every hope to start a new life. Do you want me to leave?” She asked them quietly, afraid of the worst. With no place to stay, she’d be forced to ask to be accepted back.

Judging from the experience some of her fellow girls have gone through, getting severely beaten up as a welcome back gift. 

Rose gulped, imagining the worst scenario - months of sexual services without getting any money for it.

Noticing the Doctor, she breathed in, fighting back tears.  _ I hope you will remember me as someone who has tried. _

Jack Harkness shook his head. “I dislike the man as much as any sensible being would. Rest assured, we are on your side no matter what, Rose.”

The Doctor pulled her into an embrace. “You won’t need to return back into that dreadful place, ever, I swear! We are engaged to be married and our beautiful love story is only beginning!”

Jack and Donna could only smile at the Time Lord in admiration. It was obvious he was ready to wait for as long as necessary for Rose to finally begin trusting him. From what they could see, her protective shield was already bursting.

  
  



End file.
